School board approves buses for students affected by boundary changes

The Fairfax County School Board on Feb. 26 approved a motion to provide transportation to high school students who want to remain in their current school after the new boundary changes take effect.

That motion passed 7-4, after the board declined to approve Superintendent Michelle Reid’s recommendation to provide transportation only to high school seniors.

The boundary adjustments, approved by the School Board on Jan. 22, allow rising elementary students in grades 4-5 or 5-6, currently enrolled middle school students, and rising high school students in grades 10-12 to choose to stay in their current school. All other students must attend their assigned school.

Related story: School board approves boundary changes

As approved by the School Board, the boundary plan wouldn’t provide transportation to any student who wanted to remain in their current school. That meant their parents would have to drive them or they would have to find another way to get to school.

That provision drew criticism from School Board member Ricardy Anderson (Mason) and others who charged that it was discriminatory. Only students with the means to access private transportation would be able to remain at their current school.

Anderson said she planned to vote against Reid’s proposal to provide transportation only to seniors because “transportation should be provided to all eligible students to prevent the creation of opportunity gaps.”

Related story: Transportation is a big issue for school boundary plan

Anderson said she heard from many families across Fairfax County who are concerned about the lack of transportation for their children. “Those students will have to sever ties to their current schools despite a board policy allowing them to finish their final years,” she said.

Reid said it would cost $310 million to provide transportation for eligible students at all grade levels who want to stay at their current school. It would cost $1.35 million for high school students, $804,600 for high school students using current buses, $402,000 for juniors and seniors, and $241,000 for high school seniors.

A survey of students eligible to remain at their current school conducted earlier this month found that 73 percent intend to stay at their current school, and 81 percent would require FCPS bus transportation to do so. Just 44 percent would remain at their current school if FCPS bus transportation isn’t provided.